Peace and Quiet?
by Captain Cringe
Summary: Rainbow has been given some time away from their deadly and stressful work environment. Elias Kotz and Monika Weiss, in particular, were anticipating the opportunity to have fun and live a little, hopefully relishing some time in their new atmosphere; one away from the dangers of their work, and closer to the sand. Though, they may not have found the peace they have been promised.
1. Chapter 1: Her

_Horizontal lines represent significant changes in timeframe._

_You can adjust text spacing settings on the page for convenience when reading by clicking boxes above._

_This Story was initially scrapped after chapter one. But I've decided to take it on, as a side project. For those who tag along, Enjoy :)_

* * *

_**Chapter 1 [10-15 Minute Read]**_

I inch my hand forward, being careful as to not accidentally blind the both of us. I had worked with the shield only once before but it needed a few corrections so that it wouldn't set itself off again without warning. Luckily, I hesitate before I connect the wires, giving her enough time to grab my hand before I pressed any further.  
_  
"_Stop! What are you doing?" She shouts out from behind me. "You almost just ruined everything! Here, let me," she commands, leaning over me.

I could only sit and admire while she effortlessly solders the wires and configures the system. Due to the way that she was leaning over me, with her left arm over my left shoulder, and her right arm extending under my right arm, she was restricting me from escaping. She didn't seem to mind the uncomfortable positioning that she had put herself in, as her focus was entirely on the wiring. I didn't want to disturb her, so I remained kneeling quietly, finding myself only concentrating on the warm feeling of her breath against my neck, and the consistent thumping of her heart against my back.

"There," she says, removing her arms from around me. "Now you shouldn't be sending any more old British men to the optometrist."

She jumps up and proceeds to perform a few stretches to ease her body from strain of that position. I push myself to stand up as well, meeting her at eye-height. She looks at me with her arms stretched out in front of her, staring at me with demanding eyes, "So…?"

It took me longer than it should have to catch on, "Oh! Right, Sorry. Thanks, Monika." I struggled to thank her, placing my arm out in front of me. I couldn't seem to decide whether to go for a friendly handshake or a shoulder squeeze, so it ended up looking more like a spastic karate chop.  
She walked directly past my black-belt martial arts move, stroking her hand down my right arm and flashing me a grin and a satisfying "You're welcome" before exiting the cabin.

How do I describe Monika Weiss?

She was an angel, a Saint. She was everything that I could dream for in someone, and yet every day she manages to show me more of herself that I never knew was there.

She became my ambition to become something greater than what I am.

But I still can't manage to tell her how I feel… Pathetic of me.

I leave my now corrected shield and proceed outside.

The sun felt uncomfortable against my eyes, as I hadn't left the cabin yet this morning, and the golden rays already shone strongly through the trees. The misty smell of this area is nice, I can tell I'd been at Hereford for too long; smelled like a prison there. Though, that could have just been a combination of Dominic's sweaty shirts and used car batteries.

I walk out further and spot Marius sitting on a camper chair, with Dominic setting up some food on the table. This'll be the first time I saw them today, and judging by that savoury smell, I wouldn't want to weaken the relationship I have with those two. "Guten Morgen," I say, trying to peek around Dominic's back as I approach.  
Monika began setting up a chair near them, snapping Marius out of his thousand-yard stare. He was the first to speak, "Hallo Elias!" he cheers.

Dominic turns to look at me with that cheeky smile of his, using his head to point towards the table. On first glance it seemed that he had cooked up a variety of meats, keeping the bread and butter sitting in a messy stack on the side. He finally speaks up, "That's right. Uncle Dom made breakfast."

Dominic was dressed _very_ informally, I guess no particular attire is expected here anymore, so he was taking whatever chance he could in order to... 'express' himself. He was dressed in nothing but a tiny pair of shorts. He didn't even have shoes on, rolling bear foot. In temperatures like this, you can barely manage to pull that off without freezing. It was the end of Autumn so it was a cooler, crisper environment - A good time for a trip like this. The grass probably felt nice against his feet. I'll have to give that a go today.

I myself had walked out with black pants and a grey tank top on. Marius had grey pants on with a brown jacket over his white shirt, and Monika had some casual jeans and a green t-shirt on. She had also just let her hair out, which is unusual for her, since she's always had it tied up at Hereford.

I walk past the food, grab one of the camper chairs, and throw it down between Monika and Marius, proceeding to throw my body weight down into the chair. Dominic's eyes track me as he leans against the table, facing us. "Not hungry are we? Even after all my hard work" He teases. "Here," he tosses me an apple, allowing him to catch me with my guard down and slap me with a greasy streak of meat. The rest of the team almost fall off their chairs in laughter before I regain my senses.

Monika freezes as her expression quickly changes to one more worrying. I hear her whisper under her breath, "Did I remember to bring…?"

"-Coffee?" I jump in to ask.

Her head falls back, "Scheisse".

Dominic grows wide eyes, "Fuck!" He shouts, before tossing the greasy meat into the grass. He rests his arms behind his head, "I was relying on that".

An overextended groan comes from Marius, "I only brought a kettle."

He wipes the bacon grease onto his pants "_Yes. Brilliant Input Marius…_ Because hot water is going to fuel these Glutes!"

I couldn't help but laugh aloud at everyone's reactions. I would have received an angry slap from Monika if I didn't quickly explain myself afterwards, "Don't worry, I have some coffee in my car."

I stand up, before hearing behind me, "I'll come with," from Monika.

I didn't see why she wanted to come with me, but of course, I was absolutely fine with it. I turn and offer her a hand to get up. She takes it gratefully, and we begin walking. I'm only just able to hear, "Don't eat that! It's been on the ground for ages! I just spent 15 minutes preparing this and..." behind us, before it becomes too inaudible.

Until the end of this week, Rainbow has been given an "Official Break Period", as Six had put it. She figured that the operators needed a few days off-duty to refresh and enjoy time away from the complex for a while, especially since it's almost Christmas. We arrived the previous night, and assigned ourselves our own groups of four to stay in separate cabins within the area.  
We had driven off to a stunning area in the UK. It was packed with trees, fields and glorious lakes. The beach was also nearby, so I imagine it won't be long before someone ends up in the water. We have free reign - Apart from a few scheduled 'recreational events' here and there.

After about 30 minutes of walking Monika and I arrive at the car park. I walk over to the back of my car and open it up. It still had a few items stored in the back, including Dominic's soccer ball and my bags of coffee. The trailer was emptied out, since we crammed as much as we could in our backpacks so we wouldn't have to come back to the carpark again. Apparently, we forgot a few things.  
I glance down and spot a box full uneaten cheeseburgers. Monika and I must have spotted it simultaneously, because we both immediately burst out laughing.

* * *

_**The Previous Day:  
**_**  
**"Mein Gott, we must be close by now… right?" Dominic asks me.

I respond with an almost devilish, cheeky snicker.

He then lets out an overly-dramatic groan from behind me, "Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuurrrrrrrrrgh."

Monika and I found his misery amusing. I couldn't take my eyes off of the road at that moment to see, but I heard her snickering to my left. Both of us had a fair amount of space in the front of the car, while Dom and Marius were compacted in the back; covered in a range of blankets, pillows and other items. Marius was somehow finding concentration within the madness, and was fiddling with some sort of wooden block puzzle.

"That's it!" Dominic exclaims.

He suddenly pulls his legs out from the jungle of blankets and throws them off to his left, knocking Marius' block puzzle right out of his hands, scattering the pieces all over the car. Marius turned his head to look at him, flicking his hands up, "Really...?".  
He didn't even bother trying to pick back up the pieces.

From what I could see in the rearview, Dominic was now lying down horizontally along the back seat, with his feet resting on top of Marius' leg. Marius looked defeated, and they both looked... _absolutely ecstatic... _the back and forth "hrmph"'s really let me know.

After a few minutes of silent driving, we came across a town. I spot a fast food restaurant, "Anybody Hungry? I could go for something."

Monika looks at me, "I think we all need lunch, or more importantly some distance from each other for a moment."

"If anybody needs food, it's me!" Dominic shouts out from his new position, the car floor. His voice was muffled from the sheer number of blankets on top of him. "I could eat 15 of those burgers right now!"

"Yea, right," Marius mutters, as I pull the car off into a parking spot.

Dominic rises, "Is that a challenge?" We barely manage to hear from the swamp monster.

My head drops hard onto the steering wheel, ignoring the two behind me. Are they really doing this again?  
A hand rests on my shoulder. I tilt my head, and spot Monika peering down at me with that cute half-smile, her expression could calm a storm. "Come. You need a break from this car more than any of us."

We open the doors and claw ourselves out. I walk alongside Monika towards the establishment, still trying to block out the ongoing argument between Dominic and Marius. The last thing I hear is something about the greatest hamburger consumption techniques. "It's all about the way you move your tongue," he says.

The interior of the building was surprisingly clean - For a fast-food restaurant, that is. I went ahead and ordered Monika and I lunch. Dominic and Marius told us that their order was going to be separate for "Special Reasons." I watch as Dominic walks up to the counter with pride and asks "Yes, I would like 15, -actually, make that, _16_ cheeseburgers." He looked unbelievably smug as he admired all the widened eyes around him.  
Marius walks up to us, and whispers, "Think he can actually eat them all?"

"Nope."

"Not a chance."

* * *

I wiped a tear from my eye, while Monika was still leaning against the car for support, trying to calm herself from her outburst of laughter.

"We all knew it would happen, at least after the 8th one" She manages to squeeze out.

"I think the stain might still be visible on the backside of the seat," I joke.

"That was disgusting. Must have been terrible to be the one in front of him. I'm surprised you didn't swerve off the road."

"At least I didn't have to clean it all up with my own shirt."

"I think I can still smell it."

"That means the ride back is going to be twice as fun!" I shout, almost sending us into hysterics again.

The coffee bag makes itself present to me as our task becomes present again. I throw it into my bag and over the back it went. Monika grabs Dominic's soccer ball, drops it onto the ground, and kicks it toward me. My shoes sense the challenge, "Do you know how to play soccer?" I ask her.

"I can tell you a lot you don't know"

"Show me," my taunting smile could be seen from miles away.

She points to two sides of the car park

I begin rushing forward, dribbling the ball. My confidence was at a high, having a few of my younger years at my disposal. I slow down once I reach Monika and weave around her. Well... that's what I thought happened. But in reality, she gained possession of the ball and provided me with an excellent demonstration for what dirt tastes like. Running toward her own goal, I managed to get up and start racing towards her. With a slither of a moment at my disposal, I catch up as she attempts to kick the ball for the goal. My foot declined the offer as I strafe in front of her and boot it to the side as hard as possible.

"_SMASH"_

Silence followed. I didn't even want to look.

Monika's expression appeared as if she just saw Mike naked: Terrified, in Shock and in wonder. I slowly turn around, only to be horrified myself. I had kicked the ball straight through the window of Mike's Morris Van.

"Of course it had to hit _his_ van," I tell myself.

Luckily, the van is so old and broken that the alarm doesn't work. We run over to it, and peek through the shattered window. It was mostly empty, apart from a few empty bottles and pieces of rubbish scattered across the floor.

I reach through and grab the ball. "So... How long before I'm a dead man?"

"Until the end of this trip, most likely. When we leave."

I stood still, and stared at what I had done.  
Monika walked right beside me, so that her body was against mine. She leaned her head against my shoulder in a sort of intimate way, and rested it there.

"Why do the most bizarre things always happen when I'm with you," She mumbled.

I didn't know whether to take that in a good or bad way.

"Because we're Bizarre people" I whispered to her.

* * *

We were walking along the long dirt road that connects the carpark to the area nearest to our cabin. We had almost arrived.

Monika breaks the silence, "I don't even think I want coffee anymore."

"Trust me, you will tomorrow morning. It'll be colder than Dominic's heart when he's happy".

"What are you, a psychic?"

I pull out my phone and shake it in front of me, teasing her, "Technology. It's this marvellous creation forged by the gods, that the commoners know as 'the weather app'."

She rolls her eyes at me, and we chuckle together for a few moments.

I gaze at her as we're walking, and she stares back at me...

Her eyes… they were like diamonds, it was as if I was staring into a galaxy full of stars. I couldn't help but get lost in them, and neither of us decided to break our gaze. Her smile never left her: She had a radiating smile that you could never forget; beautiful blonde hair with her signature golden locks hanging around the front.  
"_Maybe now is the perfect time to tell her?"_ I wondered.

I moved my hand towards hers and grasped it. Our eyes remained unparted.

"Monika?"

-Suddenly my phone begins to ring- '_It's been a long day, without you my friend, and-'_

I immediately mute the call, but I couldn't mute Monika's insulting giggles, "Sorry," She manages, "what were you going to ask me?"

I let go of her hand, "Oh… Uh, did you enjoy breakfast?"

My phone buzzes, and we both see the message. It was from Jordan. '_Were you two killed or something? Event's starting soon.' _She notices my upset expression, "Stop looking so bummed out. Dom's cooking is shit anyway, Quick, let's go." She re grabs my hand and pulls me along as we begin to increase our speed.

We reach the cabin within a minute. We rush past and head down towards the beach...

* * *

_To Be Continued..._


	2. Chapter 2: Him

_Horizontal Lines Represent Changes in Timeframe_

_You can adjust text spacing settings on the page for convenience when reading by clicking the boxes above._

* * *

**_Chapter 2 [~20 Minute Read]_**

I finally let go of his hand as my sneakers reach the sand.

"Wow", we both say in unison. There's a lot of beauty in the world that I must miss out on; this marvellous clear sky and white sand makes me want to get outside more. Perhaps I've been putting an excessive amount of focus into my work.

"You know," Elias begins, "I could get used to this"

I let my hands rest on my hips and scan the shore in awe, "Well let me know if you plan to come to someplace like this again, because this… this is amazing"

He stutters for a moment, "I-... Yes."

The shoreline was scattered with the other operators from Rainbow. Some were already neck-deep in the ocean, others kicking balls around. I leave my sneakers at the sand's edge, before Elias and I walk up towards the shoreline.  
The feeling of the sand between my toes was satisfying… and remarkable.  
Eliza spots us from the water and sprints out towards us, her soaking hair looking like a waterfall over that bikini. "About time you two showed up!" She shouts, her eyes widening as she arrives in front of us. She begins laughing, "What are you wearing?!"  
Showing up to the beach in my jeans may not have been the smartest idea_.  
_  
Elias smirks, "As they say, 'the tighter the pants, the tighter the turns'"  
I smack him on the arm, and the both of them chuckle. Eliza grabs her shorts and a towel, and throws them to me, still snickering like a little Goblin.

"Better get changed girl", her lighthearted and friendly tone was both taunting and inspiring.

She runs back into the water, and I hold the towel up to Elias, "Elias, Would you mind…?"

He perks his head up, and his pitch raises ever-so higher, "Of course, everyone knows I'm an expert at shielding women from danger", he jokes. I couldn't help but grin.  
He holds the towel up for me while looking the other way, and so I start changing.

"So…" He begins, accidentally lowering the towel a little bit, "Who do you think will try to throw me in the water first: Jordan, or Dominic"

"I think if you lower the towel anymore I'll have to choke you with these jeans"  
The towel jerks back up into its original position. "...If you _are_ going to get thrown in the water," I answer, peeking my head around the towel, "It'll be because of _your _pants"  
"You got a plan for those? I'm afraid these ones aren't to share."

I could feel his amusement even if I couldn't see it, and so I walk in front of him with my new black shorts. He throws the towel back over his shoulder and swiftly thrusts his pants down, shocking me for a moment, until I realised he had shorts underneath - which we found hysterical. "Don't worry," he manages, "The only people I flash are the ones who want to shoot me."

"I want to shoot you."

"Well," He grabs hold of his shorts, "in that case…"

Within a matter of nanoseconds, I have hold of his arms; his eyes dying in laughter. "Not today Mr Kotz, we don't want to send half the team into shock."

A deafening whistle arises from the centre of the beach, it was Mike.

"Gather round' you prancies!" He shouts; a sort of devilish grin appearing on his face as everyone began to circle in.  
"Let us start with one of my team's old favourites: A sprint! Here to the hill." The SAS members stare at him blankly; clearly this is a classic joke within their group. He gestures towards an enormous hill, a few hundred meters away. "Anyone who makes it there after me, climbs it. I don't care how you do it, or what you do to get there."

I didn't think this would turn into a series of training exercises. Nonetheless, outrunning everyone will be easy. There's a lot of things Elias may be good at, and running is one of them, but sprints are my game.

Naturally, we begin to line up, but before anyone, excluding me, is even remotely prepared, Mike suddenly turns and bolts for the hill. They all end up scrambling over and around each other as they catch on to the trick. With a good start I catch up, and watch as Miles effortlessly reaches Mike within seconds, "You seem to be slowin' down Grandad"

"HA!" He retaliates, "Maybe in some ways, but others? There are some things you kids will never learn!" He turns towards Miles, and in a seemingly perfected motion, he grabs him, throws him over, rolls, then continues running at the same speed.  
Faintly approaching from behind, I hear Dominic shout "Oh! so _that's_ how he's gonna play"

To my surprise, Elias is now running alongside me, he smirks, and gestures towards the ocean, "care to take the scenic route?"

How was he so effortlessly matching my speed? I try to sprint faster, my legs trembling at the now painful steps I was taking in order to overtake him. Within seconds, he catches up yet again, and, while panting, manages to say something else to me. His voice was almost inaudible now, I didn't know whether the wind was disrupting his voice, or that I was simply just filtering him in focus. I… I just really needed to win this.

"**Surprise!" **A familiar voice exclaimed from behind. His blur appears momentarily in my peripherals, before both Elias and him disappear from sight.

Dominic.

The Win was now in my grasp - I needed to prove to myself that I could actually beat them… or rather… _him… _in something, however that may be done.

My focus was narrowed only to what was in front of me, I was so close that I could almost touch it. But an instant before I was celebrating my achievement, someone brushes past me, and lands on the hillside, causing me to stumble and land on top of them.

"You're lucky I'm a cuddler"

For fuck's sake.

I sit up, still on top of him, and look down at him against the bank, "Elias!? How!?" I scramble, trying to catch my breath. "I watched you get tackled by Dominic!"

He takes a few breaths before each word - at least I know he burnt more stamina than me. "Oh, yea… his… ankle… failed… tackle." He looks down towards his abdomen, "…cant… breathe…" I snap back to reality and quickly jump off, lying on the bank next to him.

My head sinks into the sand, before a long exhalation. "Sorry."

"No worries…" He takes a few deep breaths. "Impressive running, you're outstanding!"

I can feel my face beam up, either in envy or appreciation, I'm not sure which one. How does he have this effect on me? "Thank you, Elias, really. But despite that, you managed…"

He jumps in before I continue, and looks down at the sand-packed grass, "No, trust me… I probably got a head start. You were the incredible one." He can't really take a compliment, can he?

We watch as Mike calmy approaches us, not even a dent in his breathwork. "You two are like Magnets, you know that? Bloody inseparable." Elias and I exchange glances.

"Hey!" Dominic taunts as he approaches. "Mike, you _know_ that wasn't fair! My ankle got fucked, and I was running in softer sand than your crusty legs were, and-and, Elias-..."

-"...Not gonna hear it. Up you go you muppet."

Dominic strangles the air before taking the sandway to heaven.

* * *

I pictured myself enjoying beach sports. But there wasn't much I could think about other than Elias consistently spiking the ball perfectly across the net, winning it for the team. Every. Single. Time… It's as if he is having the knowledge of every sport downloaded into his brain the moment he steps into the game. I wouldn't even be surprised if, when the duelling mats came out, he said, "I know Kung Fu". Instead, my favourite movie was never played out, and he and Dominic wrestled each other into the Ocean.

* * *

The surfing wasn't even _meant_ to be a fucking competition, and yet it looked like he was competing in the world tournaments. Where on earth could he have even learnt that?

* * *

Don't even get me started on those fucking relay races. It seems the God's above have used their collective power to forge the perfect being, only to send him down just to fuck with me! I can't take it! How does he do it? How is he always better than me?! With every, single, _fucking_-"

"-Monika?"

"_**What.**_"

His body freezes in time. "Oh, uh… sorry."

What have I done, there's nothing worse than releasing your anger on Marius' soft voice. "No no, no need to be sorry. I was just… upset. At a bee… A bee that's been stinging me all day today."

"Bees can only sting onc-"

"-So! Marius." I interrupted. "What did you want?" He still looked a bit shocked, perhaps my expression was still throwing knives at him. I shake my head and calm my expression a bit, releasing my breath slowly, and lowering my crossed arms. "Did you want to tell me something?"

He finally releases his breathe in a fast burst, almost as if he was holding it in, expecting me to do something to him.

"Ok. I. Well, not I. Dominic _and _I saw you and noticed, well, we thought-..."

"...-Thought you looked like a jaguar, ready to pounce on some Gazelle." Dominic finishes, as he walks to meet shoulder-to-shoulder with Marius. "We can see somethin's up, and whether I think it's just really funny to watch you get pissed or not, I still care about my… co-workers." He claws out, obviously searching hard for wording most suitable to his character.

Marius gestures back past himself, his words coming out much more smoothly now. "Come chop some wood with us for our Cabin fires. Trust me, it is a nice physical way of releasing tension."

I walk with them to the beachside and start tearing into the logs with our axes. No speech was needed, just the simple cracking, chopping and ripping of logs along the sides of the axe. It was… 'Nice'. Surprisingly. Thank's Marius.  
I could still see the others around on the sand from where we stood. Including Elias, who was sitting alongside the other girls from the organisation.

From behind me, Dominic muffled, "Okay, that'll be enough."

I continued chopping the wood. Every time Elias finished saying something they'd all burst into laughter, with Eliza falling onto the floor at one point.

-"_You can stop chopping the wood now Monika"_

A few other operators joined in around him as he told some story, and I could see them lean in closer with every word he spoke. He was holding his hands in front of him as if saying "Oh, I'm not even a good storyteller".

-"_Monika? Stop chopping that log!"_

They all adored him, they loved him. It's just so... frustrating! Why must he attract the attention of every operator in this organisation, and hone every skill known to man, it just brings them all to him more! _That time_ _could be spent with me!_

_**CRACK**_

_..._

I ground my thoughts for a moment, and look back. Both of the boys were staring at me in confusion, and not only was the log cut, but the foundation we used to chop it on was now split down the middle.

Dominic leans forward. "Alright then Mrs Hulk. How about we put the axe down and try something else. There's a lake due, fuckin, that way, of here" He gestures into the light forestry.

Marius jumps in, "It is quite close, and I think it is something you might need right now. Be back before the bonfire tonight, you know we want to see you there."

Will they? I doubt it. They're more likely to down a few beers and sing songs in German around the fire with Elias than click that I was even there that night at all. But nevertheless, I take their advice and go on the walk. Immediately. It's not a difficult location to navigate. And I leave without another word.

I need to make sense of this as I walk.

* * *

Ok. So.

What am I doing? Why am I getting upset over all of this? I should be enjoying myself, and trying to make use of the time I have before its back to my usual Sisyphean training. The only moments I seem to have been enjoying myself on this trip was… with… Elias… However, when he's outdoing me I've been getting upset. No, not 'upset', it's different, has more intent. It's worry, or… fear.

Do I fear his competence in '_everything'_ will drag him away from me? Or perhaps it's because if everyone admires him then he'll get close to someone else. Or… maybe I just don't feel good enough for him. Wait, why do I care?  
Do I really desire his company _that_ much? I'm not quite sure I understand why. Can I not stand my interactions with all the other operators? Or do I just enjoy time with Elias a lot more than I do with a friend. God, this is all too confusing.

Many more minutes pass as I ponder. But before my mind conjures up another thought, I take another step and peer around a tree, to reveal a gorgeous lake. Secluded from everyone, and everything. I scan around it.  
Only the animals to watch and listen. I drip my fingers into the water, and to my surprise, was very warm. Desire grabbed hold of me and I tore the shirt from my torso and threw it off over my head, revealing skin that was more than begging to be revealed. I continued to fully undress, until there was just… 'me' left.

I marvelled at myself, and couldn't help but laugh. I've never skinny-dipped in my life. Not wasting another second, I found myself headfirst in that crystal clear water, splashing around laughing like I was mad... Or a kid. Same thing. There was something about this freedom that I've been longing for. The freedom to not care about driving attention towards me. I think that's what I keep getting upset about. I shouldn't have to force the attention of whatever makes me happy towards me, but instead, I should enjoy what moments I can share with others equally, and not have to force or 'hope for'. Whatever moments that _they_ have belongs to them, and I can join in on that, and make it ours. It doesn't have to remain as a separate entity that I must attach to me. Why do I even bother trying to deceive myself… the 'they' is Elias, and I know it. This whole time I've been secretly wishing he were next to me alone in this Lake. That… would… be weird, wouldn't it? I'm naked. Maybe that's what I want.

Ok. Nope nope nope. Stop this. I'm fantasising about the stupidest shit. I'm a top tier operator, I'm more mature than that.

I reach the lakeside again, and hop out. Without any towel, I throwback on Eliza's clothing, wetting it through, and…_\- I feel my eyes hone into the forest like a dart, as my heart skips a beat and a riveting shiver shoots down my body like a lightning bolt._  
Directly across the river, a human silhouette stands, watching me, and suddenly starts moving closer.

I blink, and it's gone.

That was terrifying. But not real. The shock was still enough to knock me off my feet and make me feel uneasy about the place though, especially with the sun now falling. I left with haste.

* * *

My toes reach the sand yet again, as dusk arrives. I could see the smoke of the bonfire long before I reached the beach. Still in my, now damp, skin-tight clothing. _Thanks Eliza. _I approach the other operators circled in areas around the flames. As always, Elias is seen smiling, most likely cracking some joke. Guess it's time to try "create the moment".

I near him, and notice he's speaking with Emmanuelle. I see her face, and Elias' Back.

"Oh trust me, I didn't do the wiring myself, to be honest, I hardly do any of it. Monika's the expert you want to worship for the design, honestly. Without her I'd have already shocked myself to death"

Emmanuelle glances at me for a moment after Elias' remark, and smiles. I was already grinning. He was oblivious to it all.

I take the opportunity to slide in next to him and hip bump him. "Look at you, making all the ladies Swoon. What are we gonna do about you?"

His face beams up like a lightbulb when he turns to look at me. "Oh so we have a new comedian?" Before his eyebrows hit the roof. "Wait, how much did you hear?"_  
_  
"As much as you would have wanted me to." He opens his mouth to counter it, but ends up chuckling instead. I continue, "Elias. What were you doing."  
Now he most certainly doesn't know what I'm talking about. "What I mean is, you always do such great things, and my god are you are fucking talented." I small wave of realisation hits me, "...And of course you are! I remember all the work you've put yourself through over the years to improve… at least… now I do. You have to stop pretending like it doesn't exist Elias! You're fucking amazing!"

I paralysed him. He stutters, and I now realise how close we've been leaning into each other, with our faces only moments apart. He looks down at my lips, then back up at my eyes.

He visibly takes a breath,

And quickly pulls back to sit normally again, laughing nervously, and placing his hand behind his head. "Guess I was a bit of a mess, wasn't I."

Why did I do that? I've just made things awkward. The plan was to join in on the conversation, and there I was, spilling out what I had just been inspiring myself with for the last few hours and then hoping he'd kiss me.

"Ab-so-lutly!" Dominic tears in from behind, catapulting himself into the conversation. I have no idea when Emmanuelle left. "He most certainly _was_ a fucking mess, the man couldn't even walk with his own two legs, thank God I was there to save the poor mouse from being squashed!"

"He was only a 'mess' at the start, Dominic." Mike charms in, "His good friends and strong ambitions seemed to clean him up from there."

"Well then it's obvious that _I_ was that single most important friend that accelerated his skill through the roof, by my very presence! I marvel at my own brilliance sometimes"

Elias lets his head fall while he laughs. "I do believe you're missing a few key details there Dominic."

I think back on it. He really was a mess at the start. But more of a nervous mess, one that needed a bit of a foundation and building. _Not_ pranking through electrocution. I doubt Dominic accelerated anything that wasn't his pulse, or his death clock. Elias had seen a lot prior to Rainbow, and the newer, less Chaotic environment got to him, I guess. I led him around for days, and tried to teach him everything I knew about the other operators, and what it meant to be part of Rainbow. Every day I'd see him at the training courses. And every day I watched him break records, until, inevitably, the record broken was my own.

The FBI operators suddenly fly in with a comically large branch, and a bag of large marshmallows. I stand back from it all.

Miles pats Elias on the back, "We need a big man for a big treat. Light em' up." And so he does, flinging the marshmallows over the bonfire, roasting them terribly. From back where I stood, I caught him glancing at me multiple times during his marshy operation. He quickly pulls off the last remaining marshmallow before Alexsandr swallowed the survivors. He drops the tree and Waltz' over to me, handing me the Marshmallow.

I had to use so much of my willpower to prevent tears from falling down from my cheeks, I was not going to break because of a marshmallow. I had gotten the feeling again, of freedom. This time, from knowledge that he _also_ has the willingness to seek these moments with me. I try to study his radiance, but I still don't quite understand it. I eat the marshmallow whole, looking like a squirrel with its cheeks full, and managing a muffled, "Thank you, Elias." Both of us had the biggest grins on our faces.  
God, I was happy.

_And I don't even like Marshmallows._


	3. Chapter 3: Enigma

_Horizontal Lines Represent Changes in Timeframe_

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* * *

**_Chapter 3__ [~20 Minute Read]_**

_God… I hope she likes marshmallows…_

I could feel my heart pumping faster than a firing piston as I watched her stuff the treat into her mouth. It was as if a taser was being forced into my back, turning all of my muscles into stone until the curse was lifted by the magic of that… smile! I understand now, she must **love** marshmallows, I'll remember that.  
It was hard for her to grin with a giant marshmallow still in her mouth, but when her eyes and tears told the story instead, it was contagious enough to infect my expression too.

I'm not entirely sure how long we remained there for, but it wasn't long enough for her to even begin making progress on the marshmallow. Every time she tried to speak, it would sound like the Cookie Monster, and, to neither of our disbeliefs, ignited an increasing chain of laughter that had me almost fall back onto the sand - until she accidentally barraged me with a wet projectile that I had to dodge faster than Dominic dodges questions about his undercover work.

Sadly, in the time it took to think of that hysterical fucking joke, I had wound up with a Marshmallow planted into my forehead - And like a stadium witnessing a Goal, the camp erupted in amusement. It seems our laughter attracted unnoticed attention.

Monika quickly climbed onto my corpse to retrieve the bullet from the wound, but hesitated for a moment as she reached her hand out, biting her bottom lip with indecision.

In deciding to take the initiative to say an actually understandable word, I looked up at my forehead from the sand, muttering under my breath that "I Suppose I'm no Neo."

Immediately she tilted her head and looked down at my eyes for a moment, staring at me as if I had just given her a present that she loved, but never told anyone she wanted. Those eyes of hers reveal a thousand calculations. I just wish I knew what was going on behind them. She pauses for a moment in thought, as the other operators divert their attention elsewhere. She's probably thinking about how gross it would be to touch thi-

-"Lets Drink"

That's… not what I was expecting at all.

"_Waaaaay_ ahead of you!" Dominic cheers as he steps over us; a bottle in each of his hands.  
The mood of the camp rose as fast as the corks did from the Wine, the shirt from Alexsandr's back, and us from the sand. Within moments there was a marching band headed for the rock pools.

Monika and I exchanged one glance, and one thought: "If you're going, I'm going."

I decided to change the tides, and grabbed hold of _her_ hand this time, pulling her along with me as I swipe off the marshmallow from my forehead. The sand filled the spaces between my toes, which gave me chills and another wave of refreshment; one I believe I craved earlier.

Walking alongside Monika as that last breath of sunlight left the horizon allowed the shoreline to be painted in a beautiful white and blue moonlight. It was in the perfect position too, creating an effect that was like a sunrise but with a moon. A… moon… rise…

If I could just... frame her as I saw her right now - with the moon's reflection visible on the screen of her eyes... the artwork could be hung in a museum.

"You're not going to find Wally on my face." She informs me. How long was I staring for? I suppose you'd naturally notice a person staring into your eyes from directly beside you as if they were peering into heaven… or a wizard's crystal ball.

"Oh, I've already found him," I tell her, squinting my eyes as if I was searching harder. "But I was _looking_ for the crusty old wizard"

"On my face..." She taunts, her expression trying to prevent the dam of laughter from flooding through. The game was on.

"Well I'm not sure where else I'd find him."

I was _hardly_ containing my mile long grin as she buries her head in her hands, attempting to contain herself for a moment, before taking a deep breath and stabilising. A few eyes and smiles were darting our way with intrigue.

Her eyes regain their target, "I've heard there's a dog too"

"The dog's a hard one to spot, I wouldn't know where to start."

"I do, he likes to make himself very easy to find." She retaliates, scanning me from top to bottom as we walk. More snickering is heard from around us.

"Well he does like Chasing tail."

"Does he ever succeed in catching _the tail_?"

"Does the crusty Wizard ever succeed in not being crusty?" I fired back, now at rapid fire speeds.

"The Wizard only gets 'Crusty' when she pets the dog, perhaps the dog needs a bath?"

"The dog's hair smells like roses, unlike the Wizard's Crusty mess."

Her eyes widened as far as the moon did in it's reflection. "The _Wizard's_ hair is _perfectly maintained_ thank you very much!" She insists, tying it up in a messy, yet attractive, bun. Our audience's attention darted back and forth as if they were watching a tennis game, "However if the dog smells like roses," She begins, "it means he must have been rolling in the dirt of the flowerbeds again, and that means he needs a wash!"

"Maybe," I taunt, backing away, "But the Wizard would need to catch him first."

"_You shall not be fast_… enough" she snickers, with a now devlish and cheeky demeanour. What was she referencing? Within an instant, she bolts toward me and the beach became an obstacle course, or rather, the most immature and impressive game of tag ever witnessed. A game including, but not limited to: Running, kicking sand, Jumping over Max, and using the french as a barricade.

Inevitably, we ended up at the rockpools; the sound of our heavy panting occupying the air, and slowly being replaced by the crashing of the waves in the distance as we regained our breath for a while.

"You know," She begins, walking in front of me. "I've already tagged you twice."

"Ah, but you never _caught_ me." The chatter of the others could be heard approaching from behind.

She grabs my shirt with both of her hands, lifting an eyebrow, "Looks like I just did."

"Well that depends on whether you wou-" "What are you-" "MONIKA!" Suddenly I lose balance as I'm forced forward, revolving the world around me until I became one with the fishes.

Weiss… you certainly are something.

I watched the bubbles pour around me through my distorted vision before I resurfaced, the surprising warmth of the water seeping through all of my clothing. I wipe my eyes with my palms, only to reveal her finally burst out in hysterics, which only erupted the volcano of laughter in myself as well.

_"CANNONBAAAAAAAAAAALL!"_

Immediately, as if a meteor shower struck, the mass arrived, and with it; Dominic on my face, allowing me to meet my bubble friends yet again.

A party had begun on the rocks, with splashes from the diving, laughter from our jokes, and the chorus of singing from the russians. But as the night progressed, many left and drifted out of view toward the cabins. The environment became quieter, the crickets became noticeable in the background, and the water became warmer. I'm quite concerned about that last one though, especially with Dominic in the same rock pool as me.

Eventually only the four of us remained, with the moon watching over us. I felt like I could fall asleep in the water, and let my body naturally sink down and relax. Monika apparently still had the bubbles of her sparkling wine floating within her, cause she was buzzing. On the far other end of the spectrum, Marius was nose deep in the water, his eyes peering from the surface with a thousand yard stare.

"Hey," Dominic whispers to me from far outside of whispering distance

"Another?"

He simply rolls his right hand in response, as if his patience is running out. "It's been what… 45 minutes, and you still haven't gotten up to grab the bag for yourself"

"That… is a lot you're asking of me."

I reach my arm back and fondle through the bag for the familiar texture of the bottle cap, before pulling it out and tossing it to him. "So… " I tease, pulling the bag in front of me. "Got any magic coins in here?"

"Woaaah there! Don't fucking get it wet!" He retaliates, startling me. "The bag's special to me, my Oma gave that to me before she passed."

"So then why is it full of beer."

"Like I said, It's important to me. So I keep important stuff in it."

"Well it's good to see you almost have a soft side." I say, reaching back into the bag, ensuring to keep it away from the water. I spot an extra familiar beverage, which was _supposed_ to still be in the cabin. "This was either stolen, or a nice gesture to bring - I'm willing to give you the benefit of the doubt."

He turns away, and sips his beer, seeming almost proud of his obvious lack of innocence.

"Here it is, the best Riesling wine I am ever able to get my hands on, and my-"

"_-my FAVOURITE!_" Monika bursts in, flinging her hands up and sending water splashing everywhere. Including my eyes… and my face… and… mostly my face.

She puts fingertips to her temples, then reaches her hands out as if she's about to grab a baby. "Yes!" She shouts, "I want it. I want it now."

"So it's your favourite too? It seems you do actually have good taste in something."

"Elias, this is the one time your foolishness will accomplish quite the opposite of '_defusing the situation_'"

"Ok ok! Let me get this thing open for you…" I proceed to make it very, very clear that I am making no actual attempt to open it. "Wow, this thing just won't budge… phew!" I could see she was biting her lip, but she couldn't hide her grin. "Monika, this might be the hardest thing I've ever tried to do, honest."

Instead of releasing all hell upon me, she stares into my soul and smirks, before taking a deep breath and slowly sinking down into the water, her eyes watching me from above the surface like a crocodile moments before she disappeared. This lighting almost made the water appear opaque, however through it I saw her approaching me. As she got close, she stared up at me, and suddenly exhaled her breath, releasing bubbles everywhere and obscuring the water completely.

I just stood still, curious as to what was actually happening. The bubbles were surrounding me, and suddenly Dom and Marius started laughing. They can see something that I can't.

I immediately hear her emerge from behind me, and before I could process it; the bottle was pulled from my hand, and opened. Somehow she had swum directly around me, or… through my legs? I have no idea. I turn to meet her face to face, and was surprised to see only centimeters of space between our noses.

She brings the bottle between us and up to our noses. "Smell that…?"

"Smells delicious." I tell her - And it did. Especially when it's almost being shoved up your nostrils.

"Smells like Victory."

I'll give her that, she slipped past me, and I still haven't put it together yet. "You're like an eel."

"Or a snake." She teases, lifting an eyebrow.

"Well you certainly are as cunning as one."

"Thank you."

"So what happens now," I ask, "gonna drink from the bottle?"

"Depends, are you okay with my lips on it?"

"I'm sure it'll seem okay when I get my own lips on it." Her breath smelt like mint. God I hope mine's alright. I could see the moon in her eyes again.

"We wouldn't want to do that at the same time." She wasn't breaking her glance.

"No, we wouldn't."

…

…

"This is great." Dominic butts in. I had completely forgotten he was there. "It's so great to see us all hanging out together." He had his arm around Marius, and they were both staring at us from the corner of the rock pool.

"You two are very entertaining to watch." Marius adds from inside his Dominic cage.

I really thought there was something between us there, excluding the bottle. However from an outsider's view, it may not have been as romantic as I felt it to be. Perhaps it's best that it ended there. Especially since everyone's a bit tipsy. I step back to recreate the normal spacing between us.

Marius squints his eyes, "Haven't you drunk that wine before Elias?"

"Plenty times, why?"

"Remember the time we woke up in that police station? That wine there… It rings a bell"

"Oh yea, I can't imagine what we looked like drinking _wine_ around all those bikers."

* * *

_**One Year Ago…**_

Elias eyes out his shot between his fingers, claiming it looked perfectly straight, It didn't. I don't believe he noticed how obviously miscalculated his trajectory was - And so he missed terribly. However, it was still worthy of another sip of wine.

"Elias, how. How did you miss?" I mumble, allowing my head to fall onto the edge of the table.

He leans down and inspects the table, "I think the table might be bent."

Inspecting it further allowed me to also notice a degree of wobbliness, I don't believe that is usual for a flat table on a completely flat surface. "Ok, I suppose that's fair. However I'm concerned that you haven't sunk a ball yet."

**"Hang on," I interrupt, "Marius, I was doing fantastic! What do you mean by 'haven't sunk a ball yet'"**

**"You must be misremembering, let me finish the story."**

After our opponents took their shot, it came down to me, and I had to perform a miracle, otherwise it was game over. So naturally, I did.

**"What?"**

**"Shhh."**

With my cue in hand, I began to sink the balls. One by one, never missing a shot. 40 Degrees, 30 Degrees, 20, 195, 62.7, all precisely calculated and performed with my mathematically accurate hands. As I looked towards Elias, I saw that his jaw was almost hitting the floor. It came down to the final shot, and I couldn't perform my signature move due to the position of the ball. So I had to take some drastic measures…

I positioned the cue behind my back, and took my shot blind.

**"Because looking wasn't an option?"**

-and took my shot blind… _folded_, I had no other options. By some miracle, I sink the ball, and win it for the both of us. Utterly bewildered, you lift me up in delight, and spin me around, while the entire bar cheers our names. 'Marius! Marius! Marius! -_ And Elias…'_

**"I… I have no words," I tell him, secretly amused. Dominic and Monika seemed very immersed in the story, however, I think it was moreso to do with Marius' excitement, rather than it's accuracy.**

**"You have no words? There should be many that are fitting. You know, That reminds me about this one documentary I watched on the evolution of our artificial intelligence's communication barriers with different human cultures around the world,' Marius comments.**

**"...Marius. You've kinda gone off the rails here."**

**"Oh yea. Where was I up to?"**

**"Somewhere before the police station part."**

**"But the story doesn't involve anything particularly interesting before then anyway."**

**"Probably because you've forgotten it all. Just skip it."**

**"Okay."**

So I was lying there dreaming about a new cologne: it's scent made from literal beetle juice, I was thinking I could give Gustave some for his birthday - I even wrote it down - but then I suddenly get woken up by Elias. I open my eyes, and take a good look around me: I'm lying there, staring up at his face, from a bed.

"Hey, you fat german sausage" He whispers, "Let's go home." And so we get up and leave what turned out to be a police cell. Apparently we had been stumbling through a skatepark pretending we were two "posh british pricks called Michael Caker and Kichael Baker" while sipping wine straight from the bottle, before smashing our heads together and collapsing on the concrete. And so we were brought here for the night. Elias told me that the officer was mocking him as he woke, telling him "Who gets drunk off of Wine on a Saturday night?" before he came to get me. Despite the shenanigans, I'm honestly glad I got to spend a bit more time with him.

**"Awwww."**

On our way out I look towards the door and notice two young men sitting by the door, and I was amazed to see one of them look _exactly_ like Elias did when he was younger!

* * *

_**Present**_

I felt a sort of spike start tapping against the back of my subconscious, and my hairs on my neck were standing up, as if my body were trying to tell me something. "Marius, maybe you should stop the story there."

"-The same hair, the same nose, everything! Almost reminded me of a mini Elias."

"Marius, please just wait," I felt myself getting smaller, and the water started rising around me.

Monika turns towards me, now concerned. "Elias are you okay?" I could no longer stand up.

Marius suddenly turns towards me, staring at me directly in the eyes, expressionless. _"...And to think you watched him fucking die before your eyes."_

It wasn't Marius.

* * *

"ELIAS!"

Monika.

"Elias look at me."

Her face, those eyes.

"Elias, talk to me."

I could hear two mumbled voices in the background. And I could feel many hands on me, holding me. I focus on her eyes.

She places her hand on the side of my face, the warmth of her palm was much nicer than the water. The water!

"Listen to me," She whispers, "You're fine, it's just us."

The water had lowered, did it ever even rise?

"Monika?"

"Yes." She chokes out, relieved?

I could hear Dom and Marius' voices now, what just happened. Oh my god, she's fucking crying. "Monika what happened?!"

She looks at me, shocked. "Wha-_What happened!?_"

"Elias…" Marius charms in from her side. He looked… normal…

"What the fuck do you mean!" Dominic shouts, his hands now locked on my shoulders, taking over my focus. "You just freaked out and tried to drown yourself!"

What?

"What?!" This is ridiculous! But then… why has my adrenaline peaked? "I never 'freak out'. I've never lost control. You're describing something… something…"

I couldn't believe it, until I took one scan of their faces, and I've never seen more honesty, fear, and confusion in their eyes before. Immediately, I felt doubt. Followed by a mixture of hopelessness, anxiety and embarrassment.

Then I remembered what I had seen. I can't let her know.

* * *

_To Be Continued..._


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